Lowestoft home, in London Road South, denied extra bedrooms following objections

A home has been denied extra bedrooms following several objections.

The applicant, Mr Patrice Elonge, sought permission from East Suffolk Council to turn a residential dwelling at 47 London Road South, Lowestoft, into a nine-bedroom House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO).

The proposals would have seen alterations to the roof, with the insertion of dormer windows and one rooflight to create two extra bedrooms.

However, the application was refused earlier today after concerns were raised by Lowestoft Town Council, as well as 25 objection letters being received.

Some of these concerns raised included fears over a rise in anti-social behaviour in an already deprived area, overdevelopment, overcrowding and existing restrictions on turning large properties into flats or HMOs.

In their letter of refusal, planning officers included some of these concerns and added the proposals would not only fail to preserve the character of the conservation area but also lacked evidence as to how the large HMO would be managed.

There were also concerns the house was already being used as a seven-bedroom HMO, as opposed to the permitted use as a dwelling — making it both unlawful and unlicensed.

The officer report stated: “There is no recent planning history relating to the existing HMO, which is concluded to be an unlawful use and an unlicensed HMO.”

A council spokesperson said: “The application has been refused. We will investigate further and consider in due course if any formal enforcement action is appropriate.

“The applicant also has a right of appeal against the refusal of the application and, if appealed, then we will defend that decision through the appeals process.”